Tourist Jailed for 100 Days for Overstaying Visa by 3 Days

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

The Guardian writes about a 35-year-old father and tech worker who comes to the U.S. frequently to visit his girlfriend. An illness prevented him from flying before his 90-day visa expired. He was jailed for months by ICE.

Posted by snoofy at 02:33 PM | 29 COMMENTS | permalink

Irish tourist jailed by Ice for months after overstaying US visit by three days: 'Nobody is safe'

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-- The Guardian (@theguardian.com) Jul 15, 2025 at 6:14 AM

Comments

The Party of Fiscal Responsibility says it's a wise use of taxpayer dollars to imprison a non-violent offender for months on end.

#1 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-15 12:10 PM

Another example of why people should not to travel to the US.

#2 | Posted by Nixon at 2025-07-15 01:13 PM

Another example of why people should not to travel to the US.

Why? Didn't the tourism rate for Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy skyrocket in 1938 boosting their national economies and international trade?

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-07-15 02:11 PM

Serious question for Trump supporters. Is this type of draconian behavior what you want from our government?

#4 | Posted by johnny_hotsauce at 2025-07-15 02:45 PM

FAFO

Better learn to set a timer on your cell phone or start watching the calendar.

#5 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-15 06:11 PM

"Imprisoning peaceful humans with minor legal infractions is good, actually, because..." - MAGA

#6 | Posted by hamburglar at 2025-07-15 06:21 PM

100 days is more than extreme. Taken to the Airport and sent home would be more like it.

#7 | Posted by DMTDust at 2025-07-15 06:22 PM

it's called a deadline for a reason,.
T
hey can't treat this like 'you people"
taking an IQ test repeatedly because there's not a number coming up high enough to register

#8 | Posted by shrimptacodan at 2025-07-15 06:30 PM

#5 + #8

So you ___holes don't think illness is a reasonable excuse for postponing a flight?

#9 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2025-07-15 09:16 PM

FAFO
Better learn to set a timer on your cell phone or start watching the calendar.
#5 | Posted by lfthndthrds

You'll pay to send someone to camps for 100 days for missing a flight due to illness, then send them home.
Rather than just... send them home.

"Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?"

#10 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-15 09:31 PM

"Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?"

#10 | POSTED BY SNOOFY AT 2025-07-15 09:31 PM

Trump has taught people like them to believe that it's cool to be an -----.

You know what, though? It really isn't cool.

#11 | Posted by cbob at 2025-07-16 06:29 AM

So you ___holes don't think illness is a reasonable excuse for postponing a flight?

#9 | POSTED BY WHATSLEFT AT 2025-07-15 09:16 PM | FLAG:

Better check in with immigration.

#12 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-16 09:25 AM

#5 & #8 - Overstaying your visa is not a criminal violation. Would you also have us arrest and hold people for months at a time over other non-criminal violations such as failing to update your vehicle registration or letting your grass get a little too long?

#13 | Posted by johnny_hotsauce at 2025-07-16 10:15 AM

He says he was visiting his girlfriend in WV, and overstayed his VISA by 3 days because he couldn't travel due to medical issues, but it is apparent that in that 3 days he did in fact travel at least several hundred miles and got charged with a serious felony for alleged domestic violence. So there is more to this story apparently.

"Thomas and his girlfriend, Malone, were visiting her family in Savannah, Georgia, when Thomas suffered a mental health episode, he and Malone recalled. The two had a conflict in their hotel room and someone overheard it
and called the police, they said.

Malone, who requested to use her middle name to protect her boyfriend's identity, said she was hoping officers would get him treatment and did not want to see him face criminal charges. But police took him to jail, accusing him of "falsely imprisoning" his girlfriend in the hotel room, a charge Malone said she did not support."

A charge she "did not support"? Officers are required to make an arrest where evidence of domestic violence exists, regardless of whether the victim wants to press charges. It would be interesting to see the police report, and I wonder why the reporter didn't do that.

#14 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2025-07-16 10:40 AM

Officers are required to make an arrest where evidence of domestic violence exists, regardless of whether the victim wants to press charges.
#14 | Posted by Miranda7

No, they are not. That is not the law in Georgia. (For clarity, in most states Miranda7 is correct)

In addition, they didn't arrest him for domestic violence. They arrested him for alleged false imprisonment.

But it's all besides the point. He had a mental health episode and now ICE has him for having a mental health episode.

#15 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-07-16 11:01 AM

He had a mental health episode and now ICE has him for having a mental health episode.

#15 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-07-16 11:01 AM | Reply | Flag:

Good, one less psycho running free on the streets.

#16 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-07-16 11:58 AM

Serious question for Trump supporters. Is this type of draconian behavior what you want from our government?
#4 | Posted by johnny_hotsauce

But this occurred under Biden's ICE? It just so happened they kept him in "prison" (20+ days) until the transition to Trump.

Lot of handwringing over Trumps ICE when in fact this was under Biden's ICE.

Pretty funny actually. I always check with my lawyer on immigration issues. Never assume the government isn't out to get you.

#17 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-07-16 12:07 PM

He had a mental health episode and now ICE has him for having a mental health episode.
#15 | Posted by Sycophant

Thanks Biden.

#18 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-07-16 12:08 PM

Funny how all the Trump Crybabies can only talk about Biden, jajajaa!

Hint: It's not about Biden anymore, it's about the Lyin' King.

#19 | Posted by Corky at 2025-07-16 12:15 PM

"Malone, who requested to use her middle name to protect her boyfriend's identity, said she was hoping officers would get him treatment and did not want to see him face criminal charges."

Wow. This sounds like a double whammy when it comes to naivete.

#20 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-07-16 06:16 PM

"Lot of handwringing over Trumps ICE when in fact this was under Biden's ICE."

It's dumb to call it either Trump's ICE or Biden's ICE. It's like pretending that the Prison or Military Industrial Complexes magically change when one President is inaugurated and another leaves office.

#21 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-07-16 06:22 PM

It's dumb to call it either Trump's ICE or Biden's ICE.

It's sums to ignore reality.

This president is calling all the shots. And whatever they do they do it to please Dear Leader.

Most presidents keep a healthy distance between themselves and the DOJ.

Trumpy thinks the DOJ is his personal private law firm and ICE is his Republican Guard.

#22 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-07-16 06:41 PM

"Trumpy thinks the DOJ is his personal private law firm and ICE is his Republican Guard.
~DONNERBOY

(Unrecognized) Newsworthy Flag

(Bonus points for the Saddam reference.)

#23 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-07-16 07:11 PM

"Officers are required to make an arrest where evidence of domestic violence exists, regardless of whether the victim wants to press charges."

Is that in all jurisdictions, or some? If some...was it for this one?

#24 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-07-16 07:14 PM

#21

I didn't see Biden increasing the ICE budget to 75 billion, idiot.

#25 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-07-16 07:42 PM

"It's sums to ignore reality."

It's dumb to ignore reality.

Thx Siri.

#26 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-07-16 09:42 PM

ICE's budget is now bigger than these state budgets:

Delaware: $6.07 billion
Idaho: $5.26 billion
Maine: $7.84 billion (annualized for a two-year budget cycle)
Montana: $4.68 billion (annualized for a two-year budget cycle)
New Hampshire: $5.20 billion
Rhode Island: $7.29 billion
South Dakota: $4.06 billion
Vermont: $5.23 billion
Wyoming: $4.45 billion (annualized for a two-year budget cycle)

I don't think Americans really understand what that means.

#27 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-07-16 09:46 PM

"Officers are required to make an arrest where evidence of domestic violence exists"

This doesn't come close to explaining why he was in jail, for 100 days, at tremendous expense compared to the county jail.

#28 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-07-16 09:46 PM

According to my AI, ICE's annual budget is approximately $28 billion. Many countries have smaller budgets.

I don't think Americans know what that means.

#29 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-07-16 09:49 PM

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